The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Nimesh Dave
All the king’s men
In their break time, a group of men play cards on a stretch of dug up road near MIG Club in Bandra East
Writing a new song
(From left) Pushan Kripalani, Arijit Datta, and Neel Adhikari at the gig. Pic Courtesy/Bhagi R
After years of having people come up with suggestions on his lyrics, composer Neel Adhikari decided on countermeasures. “In urban spaces like Mumbai, we often do not get to just jam, and play music. Moreover, we need a community of singer-songwriters who can sit down, play each other’s songs, discuss and debate the meaning of each word,” Adhikari revealed. On Wednesday, he treated Bandra to a fun opening gig of this new community, The Songwriter Circle, alongside Pushan Kripalani and Arijit Datta. “The idea is to build a collective, where songwriters come together, sing along, have fun, but also create. We are a dying breed,” he told this diarist.
Art will have to wait
Members of the fishermen community at Uttan. Pic Courtesy/Yash Sheth
As unseasonal showers and thunderstorms lashed the city and the Konkan coast, several events have also borne the brunt of its impact and timing. Originally scheduled to take place this weekend, the Tulpa — Uttan Art Festival is now postponed to a date later this year. “Unfortunately, due to the unpredictable weather conditions and a storm warning for the shores of Uttan we have decided to conduct the event after the monsoon season,” Mogan Rodrigues (inset), co-organiser shared with this diarist.
Envisioned as a gathering that included heritage walks of Uttan’s shores, photo exhibitions and panel discussions among others, the festival will most likely take place in November this year. “The entire idea was to get people to move away from SoBo art hubs, and appreciate the beauty of Mumbai’s coastline, especially Uttan. For now, we have decided to conduct this before the wedding season starts for the Koli community,” Rodrigues assured us.
On a marathon roll
Diviena Kannangar during a practice run. Pic Courtesy/Ajay Shivlani
While most teens are busy with their summer vacations, Diviena Kannangar is busy with an exercise schedule. The 15-year-old earned two silver medals at the National Ranking Championship in Kochi that concluded on May 19. “Till last year, I had finished outside the podium at the National Ranking Championships. So, I decided to take a break and work harder,” shared Kannangar. Having started her season in January, the teen bagged silver medals in the 500+D (distance) and 1-lap Road categories. “I had to train harder to build up my mental fortitude, since I was a tad disappointed with the previous championship performances. Hence, this win feels very satisfying,” she added. But this marks only the beginning of the season for Kannangar. The Thanekar is already preparing for her next challenge — the 24-hour Roller Du Mans. “It is the roller skating marathon held at the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans in July. We will be part of The Skate Academy team, perhaps the only Indian team at the competition,” her coach, Ajay Shivlani, added.
No longer a men’s-only club
(From left) Banu Mushtaq and Deepa Bhasthi. Pic courtesy/Banu Mushtaq on Instagram
The International Booker Prize 2025 win for Kannada author Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi, for the collection of short stories, Heart Lamp, has sent countless Indian literary hearts into fervour. Apart from being the latest in a long list of Indian names on the honour roll, the award is also the second Booker for a work translated from an Indian language (after Daisy Rockwell and Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand won it in 2022). Over an email conversation, author Shinie Antony (inset) emphasised that connection. The Bengaluru Literature Festival (BLF) co-founder shared, “It is the magic of translations! India took its time getting its translation act together, but now no one can stop us. Both these wins [Banu and Geetanjali, Deepa and Daisy] are women writers and translators, and that is extra special. Literary domains in many languages are a men’s-only club.” Mushtaq and Bhasthi were also guests at the BLF in 2024. “Both are, as you can make out from their speeches at the ceremony, very down-to-earth, grounded people, without any airs,” she revealed.
Run, Mumbai, run!
Participants warm up before a run in Mumbai. Pic Courtesy/Sahirah Oshidar on Instagram
As Mumbaikars increasingly turn towards running communities to stay on top of their health and fitness, Juhu-based club Soho House Mumbai has hopped on the bandwagon by partnering with On Tour Run Club. With runs scheduled every Friday at 6.30 am, the club is hoping to create a community experience by taking runners through curated routes in the city. “The run club is built on the belief that movement can bring people together. My background in film, music, and strength training helped me shape this space where movement meets culture. It’s a space where everyone belongs, and there is just one single rule — we wait for everyone to finish. No pressure, no ego — just pace, purpose, and connection,” Sahirah Oshidar, founder of the running club, shared with this diarist.
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